Fundraising Tool Kit Revised May 2010

Table of Contents Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 3 

Step One: Determine your private funding needs ....................................................................... 3 Step Two: Think about who to involve and how to engage them ............................................... 3 Step Three: Determine who you should target for funding ......................................................... 4 Step Four: Use this Tool Kit for recommendations regarding fundraising methods ................... 4 

Events .............................................................................................................................................. 5 Step One: Evaluate your Resources .......................................................................................... 5 Step Two: Select the Appropriate Type of Fundraising Event .................................................... 5 Step Three: Planning and Promotion .......................................................................................... 5 Step Four: Execution .................................................................................................................. 6 Step Five: Follow up and Debrief ................................................................................................ 6 Event Suggestions ....................................................................................................................... 6 

Product Sales ................................................................................................................................ 13 Step One: Choose a Product to Sell ......................................................................................... 13 Step Two: Reach out to Parents/Students ................................................................................ 13 Step Three: Management and Distribution ............................................................................... 13 Product Sales Resources .......................................................................................................... 13 School Store ............................................................................................................................... 14 

Corporate Proceeds and Equipment Donations ............................................................................ 15 School Night at Local Retailers/Restaurants ............................................................................. 15 In-Kind Donations ...................................................................................................................... 16 Other Resources ........................................................................................................................ 16 

Grant Writing for Private Foundations and Corporations .............................................................. 18 Grant Writing for Private Foundations and Corporations .............................................................. 18 

Step One: Know what you want to fundraise for........................................................................ 18 Step Two: Decide whether to target government or private grants ........................................... 19 Step Three: Do your research ................................................................................................... 19 Step Four: Write the proposal ................................................................................................... 20 Step Five: Follow up ................................................................................................................. 22 Step Six: Reporting after receiving the grant ............................................................................ 22 Common Mistakes ..................................................................................................................... 22 Additional Grant Writing Resources ........................................................................................... 23 

Forming a School-Business Partnership ....................................................................................... 24 Step One: Determine who will manage the partnership ........................................................... 24 Step Two: Prioritize your needs and determine how a business partner could help ................ 24 Step Three: Meet with the business representative and get to know one another ................... 24 Step Four: Create an action plan .............................................................................................. 25 Step Five: Implement partnership activities .............................................................................. 25 Step Six: Check in along the way ............................................................................................. 25 Step Seven: Evaluate the partnership at the end of the year ................................................... 25 Step Eight: Celebrate your successes and thank your business partner ................................. 25 

Appendix A: First Meeting Agenda ............................................................................................... 26 Appendix B: Sample Partnership Activities .................................................................................. 27 Appendix C: Additional School Resources ................................................................................... 29 Appendix D: How To Recruit a Partner ........................................................................................ 31 

Step One: Identifying potential partners ................................................................................... 31 Step Two: Articulating your educational goals and how a business partner can help ............... 31 Step Three: Approaching the Partner ........................................................................................ 32 Next Steps .................................................................................................................................. 33 

Appendix E: Foundation List ......................................................................................................... 34 Appendix F: Glossary ................................................................................................................... 36 

Introduction The Fund for Public Schools is dedicated to improving New York City’s public schools by attracting private investment in school reform. We work to increase resources for system-wide initiatives identified by the Chancellor. While we do not fundraise for individual schools, we know that schools often need private funding to augment their publicly funded resources. The Fund has written this tool kit primarily for principals but also for teachers, parent coordinators, and parents to help raise money for their schools. The fastest and most effective way to raise money is to determine your school’s specific needs, identify resources, and get to work! Whether you’re raising $500 or $5,000, you can find the talent needed to raise these funds in your school community. This tool kit features suggestions and guidelines for your fundraising efforts, including: Events: Organized fundraising event such as pledge drive, bake sale, art exhibition, or talent show Product Sales: Parents or students sell products such as candy or gift wrap with a percentage of proceeds going to the school Corporate Proceeds and Equipment Donations: Local businesses donate supplies, equipment, or a percentage of profits Grants: Write a grant proposal to secure a government or foundation grant for a specific project or program Business Partnerships: Enter into a relationship with a business partner to help support your needs

Step One: Determine your private funding needs Evaluate your school to determine what the area of greatest need is – it may be art supplies, a specific program, a trip, a project, a sports team, or something else. The school’s principal must play a lead role in this decision and provide approval for any fundraising initiative.

Step Two: Think about who to involve and how to engage them As you are planning your school’s fundraising efforts, you should work to gain the support and involvement of the school community. Depending on the fundraising methodology you choose, you will need volunteers with the talent and experience to support your work. For example:

Sales and events require a sizeable number of volunteers, such as students, parents, teachers, and community members

Grant writing requires a person who is motivated and good at writing, with support from teachers and administrators to gather information and conduct research

Business partnerships require someone with strong relationship-building skills to be the main point of contact for the business partner

No matter what type of fundraising you are doing, you always want the school community to be aware and supportive of your efforts. Strong and frequent communication within the school community is vital – sending a school newsletter home to parents and promoting the fundraiser through the parent association are two great ways to help build support.

Step Three: Determine who you should target for funding Who is your fundraising target? You will probably be looking within one of the following three groups:

Students, Parents, Community: Sales and events are a good way to raise money from the school community and the larger surrounding community. They are generally also an effective way to engage students, parents, and staff to get them more involved in the life of the school. Sales and events can also motivate surrounding community members to volunteer or participate in school events.

Foundations/Large Corporations: Grant writing targets foundations and corporations for a specific project or program. The program typically needs to be of significant scale to be considered by a foundation.

Community Businesses: Forming a partnership with a community business can result in both financial support and donations of products and services.

The amount raised from any of these groups can vary from hundreds to thousands of dollars based on method, effort, number of volunteers, publicity, and timing.

Step Four: Use this Tool Kit for recommendations regarding fundraising methods The tool kit includes information regarding:

Events

Product Sales

Corporate Proceeds and Equipment Donations

Grant Writing

School/Business Partnerships NOTE: Please refer to the NYC Department of Education Chancellor’s Regulations for fundraising and reporting regulations. These regulations must be followed by any school or school group engaging in fundraising activities. Please click here for a list of all regulations. Also click here for regulations regarding fundraising; click here for regulations regarding the sale of food items for fundraising purposes; and click here for regulations regarding flea markets.

Events Events are a good choice for your school when:

You want to get a lot of people involved from all areas of the school community

You want to promote your school to the surrounding community

You want to celebrate while raising money with your students, teachers, and parents

You want to honor or recognize someone in your community

Step One: Evaluate your Resources You should consider the following resource questions:

Space: Where could a fundraiser be held? How do I reserve that space and is there any cost?

Staffing: Who might be available to volunteer at this event? Do you have interested parents, teachers, and community members?

Student Involvement: Could your students act as organizers and/or volunteers?

Scheduling: How long would an event take to plan and implement? What other upcoming school events are scheduled (e.g., parent-teacher conferences, science fairs, etc.)?

Audience: Who might attend this event? Would you be able to promote the event enough to ensure good attendance?

Secondary Goals: In addition to raising money, what are you trying to accomplish? Do you want to, for example, involve parents, engage students, or promote the school?

Budget: How much will the event cost, and how much can you afford to spend? Some of our examples of events require laying out money in advance, but some do not require any money at all. You may want to consider asking local businesses to sponsor the event by donating supplies. You can also ask them to provide supplies at a discounted rate.

Step Two: Select the Appropriate Type of Fundraising Event Keeping in mind your resources, consider your fundraising objective. Can you tie the event to this program or project? For example, if you are raising money for art programs, consider putting together an exhibition of student artwork. If you need money to upgrade the library, host a book fair or a read-a-thon. If you want to improve your auditorium, plan a movie night. Do some research. Following you will find a list of event suggestions, but you can also go online or to the library to research event ideas, or ask other schools what type of fundraisers they have had. One book you may want to refer to is Beyond the Bake Sale: The Ultimate School Fundraising Book by Jean Joachim, a New York City public school parent.

Step Three: Planning and Promotion Organize a committee to plan the event. Consider the time needed for each step of the planning process, including volunteer recruitment and securing facilities, funding, and supplies. Organize a sub-committee for each piece of the event (i.e., food, publicity, volunteer management, etc.) and designate a chair for each sub-committee. Each sub-committee should be given a specific agenda, detailed assignments, and a timeline.

Effective and frequent communication within the school community is vital to the success of any fundraiser. A school newsletter that goes home to parents is one popular communication tactic. This does not have to be a complicated or fancy print job – it could be a simple, brief newsletter with a message from the principal, parents association, and/or teachers, along with a calendar of events or reports on recent events. Local businesses could be invited to place an advertisement in the newsletter to offset the cost of printing. The school website and the parent association should also be used to advertise your event and to recruit volunteers. Remember to invite VIPs to your event, including your City Councilperson, Borough President, network leader, business leaders, and local Business Improvement District representatives.

Step Four: Execution Throughout the planning process, hold regular meetings for sub-committee chairs to report on their progress to ensure all tasks are being completed. Such meetings are a good time to provide encouragement and to troubleshoot any problems that may arise. Carry out the event. Have fun!

Step Five: Follow up and Debrief Report on the success of the event to your school community. Summarize the amount earned from the event and how that corresponds to your goal. Publicize the success in school communications so everyone knows the results of their hard work and effort. Thank your volunteers and participants. Send thank you letters to businesses that donated supplies, provided promotion, or helped the fundraiser in any way. These letters should be on school stationery and signed by the principal and lead event organizer. Showing proper appreciation to a business partner gives you a better chance of securing their participation in future events. Keep a list of donors for reference for your next event. Debrief with volunteers and sub-committee members. Talk through any issues and how they were resolved and note what might be done differently next time. Record the process you followed for easier execution of future events, and consider creating goals for your next event. Create a file with this information to be passed to future event organizers.

Event Suggestions

Pledge drive: Good for:

Schools with little money to spend and little fundraising experience

What to do:

Send home letters asking parents to donate money to the school, which specifically describe the programs or projects the money will support

Tell a story about the students or the school that personalizes the request and makes it more interesting and compelling for potential donors

Solicit local businesses and community groups. If your school has an alumni list, send letters to alumni. If there is no alumni list, consider researching to see if one can be started. In order to increase donor response and participation, PS 166 in Manhattan suggests having a pledge drive for specific programs instead of a general pledge drive.

Resources needed:

A strong writer to compose the letter

Paper

Copier

Envelopes

Stamps

Volunteers to collate and stuff envelopes

Process to record donations

Remember to:

Send thank you letters to every donor!

Student Art Show: Good for:

Schools with little fundraising experience

Schools trying to raise money for arts programs

Schools trying to increase parent involvement

What to do:

Create a display of student artwork

Invite parents and community members to the exhibition

Ask teachers to help by encouraging students to create art specifically for the show

Charge a low admission fee at the door or set up a pledge table at the entrance

You may consider selling the artwork or refreshments to raise additional funds Resources needed:

Student artwork

Space

Easels, display cases, tables, and/or wall hanging supplies to display the artwork

Volunteers to set up and break down the display and to collect admission fees/pledges

Remember to:

Reserve the space well in advance

Work closely with the art teacher(s)

You may also want to:

Consider variations on this theme: academic fair, science fair, woodworking fair

Talent Show: Good for:

Schools wanting to increase student and parent involvement

What to do:

Organize the students to perform a talent show in the school auditorium

Work closely with the performing arts/drama teacher (if available)

Get students on the organizing committee to recruit other students to participate

Resources needed:

Student participation

Auditorium/performance space

Microphone and sound system

Committee to organize

Volunteers to sell tickets

Volunteers to promote and publicize to the school community

Remember to:

Sell refreshments at the show – get local businesses to donate soda and snacks or have students/parents bake goods to sell

Themed Bake Sales Good for:

Schools with little money to spend and little fundraising experience

What to do:

Customize bake sales for any holiday that a majority of the school population celebrates

Host bake sales at school events or at local community events

Sell whole cakes or pies before the holidays so people don’t have to bake them at home

Resources needed:

Volunteers to bake

Volunteers to sell

A table

Promotion

Remember to:

Be strategic! Hold the bake sale a few days before Thanksgiving and sell pumpkin pies. Sell baked goods and beverages near voting booths on Election Day. Sell muffins before school, and desserts after school and during evening meetings.

You may also want to:

Consider a variation on this theme: a Cookie Swap. Ask people to donate a variety of cookies and allow buyers to fill a tin with various types of cookies. Sell them by the weight of the tin. This allows a family to have a nice cookie spread for the holidays without having to do all the baking themselves.

Another variation on this theme was contributed by PS 236 in Brooklyn. They suggest selling New York pretzels a few times a week in the school cafeteria.

Halloween Festival: Good for:

Schools that have an involved parent base

Schools that have some advance money to put out for supplies and decorations before holding the event

What to do:

Organize an indoor Halloween Festival with games, a haunted house, pumpkin painting, costume contest, music, and food

Turn a classroom or hallway into a haunted house with decorations from the party store and black cloth/paper

Other ideas include: decorating trick-or-treat bags, hosting a dance with activities in the hallways, and face painting

Ask everyone (volunteers and attendees) to dress up

Charge admission at the door, or sell tickets for games and the haunted house

One school suggested having each class create a carnival game to contribute to the festival

Ask people to donate Halloween treats to sell

Canvass parent and school volunteers to see what artistic talents they have to share for the festival!

Resources needed:

A lot of volunteers

Halloween decorations

Games (such as bean bag toss)

Space in the school

Volunteer DJ

Donated food

Pumpkins

Face Paint

Remember to:

Start planning well ahead of time

Organize your volunteers into subcommittees: games, promotion, security/tickets, decorations, supplies, food, etc.

Saturday Flea Market: Good for:

Schools with a solid organizing committee and plenty of volunteers to help promote the event, collect and organize donations, and work the day of the flea market

What to do:

Have the school community donate items to sell in the school gym or school yard on a Saturday

Resources needed:

Publicity

Right to use school rooms on the weekend

Collection bin

Volunteers to set up tables, price and sell items

Remember to:

Ask local businesses for donation items they no longer need

Sell refreshments at the event

Read-a-Thon: Good for:

Schools with few resources

Schools trying to raise money for books or the library

What to do:

Organize students willing to read and ask them to have family and friends donate money for every 10 minutes a student can read

Gather the students in the school library/gym/classroom, record their reading time, and collect the pledges

There are many variations, such as: students could read to an adult for part of the time, adults could read to children, or students could read to one another

Resources needed:

Pledge forms

The use of a school room

A few volunteers to coordinate

Books

Students to read

Remember:

Department of Education policy prohibits students from going door to door to fundraise for their schools, so they cannot ask for pledges in that manner.

Spring Auction: Good for:

Schools with a strong local business community

Schools wanting to involve the whole family

What to do:

Hold an auction in your school gym for parents and the community

Ask local merchants, parents, and members of the school community to donate goods and services to be auctioned off

Ask restaurants to donate dinner for the auction, and charge a fee at the door

Allow guests to buy a full table at the auction for their family and friends

PS 261 suggests combining the auction with a raffle. Raffle tickets can be sold before the auction, with the drawing taking place during the event. (Please note that per Chancellor’s Regulations, no raffle tickets can be sold to students.)

PS 261 also provided the fun idea of putting coupons for prizes inside balloons and then selling the balloons for $10 each

PS 166M contributed the idea of having classes create special one-of-a-kind items on which to bid

The auction is usually a parents-only event. To encourage higher attendance, provide babysitting.

Resources needed:

School gym

Tables

Volunteers

Donations from local businesses

Microphone

If dinner is served, donated food, plates, utensils, beverages

Raffle tickets and volunteers to sell tickets (if necessary)

Remember to:

Pick a theme and make the event a fun, decorative one

Family Fun Night: Good for:

Schools with some advance money

Schools wanting to have a family event

What to do:

MS 158 in Queens suggests hiring a magician and putting on a show at the school

Sell tickets to the event

Sell hot dogs and soda in the cafeteria

Decorate with balloons

Ask parents to volunteer their time to work the door and the concession stand

Resources needed:

School auditorium and cafeteria

Volunteers

Tickets

Donated food

Magician

Remember to:

Ask the school community to donate items (such as books, movies, or games) and package them into baskets to raffle off during intermission

Product Sales Selling products is another common way for schools to raise money. There are many different items that can be sold, such as food, candles, flowers, wrapping paper, and gifts. Product sales are a good choice for your school if:

You only have a few adult volunteers who can actively participate

You have a student population that can actively sell to family and friends and their families have the resources to purchase items

You do not have the advance money required for some events

You have six months of lead time to contact a company and organize a sale before you see any profits

You are fundraising for only part of the student population – i.e., a sports team or after-school club

Step One: Choose a Product to Sell Take into consideration your school population, the time of year, and the needs of the

students. For example, you may want to sell wrapping paper in the fall to ensure that it arrives before the holidays, or sell chocolates before Valentine’s Day.

Visit the websites or call the resources listed below for suggestions, timing, and other details regarding sales.

Step Two: Reach out to Parents/Students Communicate to the school community that you are planning this sale. Publicize specific

details regarding when the sale will take place, how to order, and when the product will arrive.

Make it easy for people to participate in both selling and buying the product. Visit the websites or call the resources listed below for suggestions on promotion.

Step Three: Management and Distribution Designate a small committee to oversee the orders and money, including sending orders

and money to the company, receiving the inventory, organizing the orders, and staffing a location for easy pick up.

Organize each order ahead of time so that you can move people in and out of the pick up line quickly.

The companies listed below can help to customize the steps for your school and provide you will detailed instructions regarding the management and distribution of the orders.

Product Sales Resources Organizing sales can be a daunting task, but there are many resources to help you effectively fundraise in this way. Several companies and websites specialize in school fundraising sales and can walk you through the process. They will explain to you exactly how it needs to be done and

they will answer your questions. A few suggestions of companies are listed below; contact these organizations for complete details. QSP: QSP is a leader in providing fundraising tools for schools. Their website is informative and can help schools figure out what items to sell and how to go about the process. School Fundraisers: This company offers products that can be sold by the school community to raise money. Their website provides a toll free number that you can call to talk to a fundraising consultant to determine the best method and product for your school. Cherrydale: Cherrydale has a variety of products that can be sold, and an easy internet form you can fill out for more information.

School Store An alternate idea from PS 236 in Brooklyn is to open a school store. At the elementary school level, the school store can be a cart wheeled into the cafeteria twice a week. The store can sell all the school supplies a student would need to purchase, such as pens, pencils, folders, notebooks, rulers, and crayons. At a junior high school or high school level, if the school has a room that can be used for the store then it can be more permanent store. In addition to school supplies, this school store could sell school t-shirts and sweatshirts, as well as greeting cards or other small items.

Corporate Proceeds and Equipment Donations Businesses can be a good source for a wide range of resources and are often willing to get involved with their local schools. Work with the companies in your community to secure donations for your school. This is a good option for your school if:

You want to involve the local business community in your school

Someone in your school community has a connection to a local business

You have the ability and mechanisms to promote a program

Your school community wants to help raise money for the school, but does not have a lot of time to volunteer

School Night at Local Retailers/Restaurants Good for:

Schools with few volunteers

Schools with connections to a particular retailer

Schools with a volunteer who is comfortable approaching store managers

What to do:

Visit a local store or restaurant and speak with the manager or community affairs director

Ask the manager to pledge a percentage of sales on a particular day/night to your school.

Publicize the date of the promotion to everyone you can – get as many people as possible to come out and buy something that day

Ask the store to publicize the promotion with posters, balloons, etc. to gently ask customers to participate.

Resources needed:

A few volunteers to approach the business, arrange publicity, and be there during the promotion to encourage people to participate

Supplies such as posters and balloons to put in the store Remember to:

Sign an agreement with the store to solidify the percentage of sales and the date of the promotion

Send a thank you note to the store/restaurant manager and employees

Be loyal to that store/restaurant

If the promotion is successful, approach the store about having “School Night” once a month, or every six months

Example: PS/MS 207 in Queens provided the example of raising funds at the local Burger King. Each month they chose a day during which the school children used a different theme to draw posters to place in Burger King. Between the hours of 4:00 and 8:00pm, PS/MS 207 received 20% of total sale orders. The Parent’s Association hosted this fundraiser every month. Example: MS 245M worked with Pizzeria Uno, which provided the school with vouchers to give to the families. Twenty percent of purchases made with the vouchers was donated to the school. The school created a website and a package to explain the voucher deal. Approximately 70 families participated.

In-Kind Donations Good for:

Schools that do not have advance money for events What to do:

Approach local businesses for equipment, supplies, and food and beverage donations for school events. Many businesses are happy to give free or discounted products, especially if you offer to have promotional advertising at the event. This increases their visibility in the community and brings in new customers for them.

Be very clear when you ask for the donation – know exactly what you want and how much you need for the event. You do not want to accept donations of products you do not need.

Resources needed:

Someone to speak to the businesses and organize the donation Remember to:

Send a thank you note for any donation, no matter how small, that you receive!

Other Resources Scrip: Scrip is a national fundraising program. Schools, teams, and parent associations can buy gift certificates to local stores at a discounted price (5%-10% off). The group then sells the gift certificates to the community at face value to use at these stores. This is a popular idea because it requires nothing on the part of the donor – they are still shopping at their usual stores and buying their usual products, but they are now helping the school earn money. Boxtops 4 Education: General Mills runs a program in which they pay schools 10 cents for every General Mills box top they submit. More details and participating brands can be found on their website. Put a collection box in the school hallway or have teachers collect box tops from students to send in bulk. One Cause: If your school community is Internet savvy and shops online, this site could be valuable to you. Schools can register online and then encourage parents and community members to shop through this site. A percentage of profits from the shoppers’ purchases is donated back to their school. The advantage here is similar to the Scrip idea above – people are

still shopping with their regular online merchants and buying the same products, but now they are also helping the school fundraise. Visit the website for details. Verizon Long Distance Extra Credit: Your school can sign up with Verizon to take part in the Verizon Long Distance Extra Credit program. Verizon Long Distance users can enroll to have Verizon donate 5% of the user’s bill back to your school. There is no cost to the Verizon user. Each quarter a check is automatically sent to your school with all the donations from your school community. Visit the website for details. Target Take Charge of Education: Similar to the Verizon program, your school can sign up with Target to receive a percentage of purchase sales. Visit the website for details.

Grant Writing for Private Foundations and Corporations Grant writing involves a good deal of preparation, research, and writing, but can enable you to raise significant money for school programs. A grant for a school or school group should be considered when:

You need to raise significant funding for one specific and measurable program or project

The principal has agreed that the request is a priority and is willing to sign off on the final proposal

You have one or a few very dedicated people with strong research and writing skills

You have at least six months to raise money

You are hoping to raise $5,000 or more Many foundations will only make grants to a 501(c)3 organization. If your school does not have a 501(c)3, The Fund for Public Schools, which is a 501(c)3, will act as the fiscal agent for a school grant. The Fund will set up an account for your school and act as the conduit to accept the money and allocate it to your school. The Fund does not control the money; it simply facilitates the donation. If you need to use The Fund as the 501(c)3 for your grant, you will need some basic information from The Fund about its status and financial history to send to the donor with your proposal. Each grant requires different information; please read the grant guidelines carefully and then email The Fund for Public Schools at info@fundforpublicschools.org with a request for the documentation you will require. If you do not have access to email, you can call 212-374-2874. Please note: The Fund for Public Schools cannot write a grant application for you and cannot research, edit, or review your grant application as we do not have the resources to support the fundraising needs of over 1,600 schools. We hope this guide will be helpful as you pursue grants for your school.

Step One: Know what you want to fundraise for It is critical that you know the initiative for which you want to fundraise and have thought through the process of developing, maintaining, and evaluating the project. It is wonderful to say that you want to build a new library, but you have to know how you are going to manage the process of building the library. If you want to start an after school program, you must know who is going to run that program and what it is going to accomplish. Speak with the school community – the principal, parents, teachers, and students – to develop an idea that is going to be strongly supported and utilized. The clearer you are when you are thinking about the grant, the better your chances of finding the right funder and writing a solid proposal.

Note on Writing a Joint Proposal You may want to consider partnering with a nonprofit organization to write a joint proposal. If, for example, a nonprofit group is running an after school program at your school, you may want to write a joint proposal to expand the program to serve more of your student population. This would allow you to work in collaboration with the nonprofit’s development and grant writing resources, and create a more solid proposal. Some foundations like to see collaboration between organizations, and often welcome a joint proposal.

Step Two: Decide whether to target government or private grants The next step in proposal writing is to identify an organization whose funding guidelines match your proposed project. Finding this organization involves doing some research. Helpful information can be found online or at the Foundation Center library. Grants can be broken down into government grants and private grants: Government Grants Government grants can be from the state or federal level. These programs are designed for a specific purpose and usually have many requirements and regulations. New York City public schools already receive considerable government funding from such grants. However, additional grants are available. The guidelines for who is eligible and for the programs supported can be found at the following websites:

Federal grants: www2.ed.gov/fund

New York State grants: http://usny.nysed.gov/grants/

Private Grants Private grants come from foundations, corporations, and individuals. Private sources tend to be more flexible in terms of regulations, and will often get involved in a discussion with the fundraiser to determine how they can best help the school. Many of these organizations want to be involved locally in the community and want to donate to nearby schools. Foundations and corporations often have their own specific guidelines for proposals. These guidelines can often be found on their website or with a phone call to the foundation. NOTE: before you contact a foundation or corporation directly, research is very important. See the next step on researching your grant.

Step Three: Do your research

What to Research You will need to determine how a donor’s mission and goals match with your school’s needs. You do not want to approach a foundation that funds health and fitness programs, for example, and ask them for money for a literacy program. You need to make sure your request fits with what they like to fund. Consider the following:

What is the purpose of the grant/foundation/corporation? Do they fund education programs? What kind of programs? Do they fund public schools?

How much money do they usually give per grant? (This information is often available on their website.) You do not want to ask a donor for $25,000 when their usual grant size is $5,000, or vice versa.

How often do they make grants? What is the due date for the grant proposal? What is the timeframe for most of the projects they support?

What information needs to be included in the grant proposal?

Do they accept the Common Application?

The following resources will help you to research potential donors: Foundation Center:

The Foundation Center offers pay and free courses in grant writing to help all levels of fundraisers. It is located at 79 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.

Foundation Center Online: www.fdncenter.org

This site provides links to hundreds of foundations and provides a user-friendly guide for grant seekers. Some searches and portions of the website are password protected, but much of the site is not. There are also online tutorials for new grant writers, as well as an online funding library and additional resources.

Foundation Finder: http://lnp.fdncenter.org/finder.html

Part of the Foundation Center website, the Foundation Finder searches information about thousands of foundations in the U.S.

Fundsnet Online Services: www.fundsnetservices.com

This site provides links to hundreds of funding sources as well as grant writing and fundraising tips.

You can also consult our list of foundations and corporations that have historically given money to the New York City public schools. There is no guarantee that these organizations will fund your school’s requests, but this list is a good starting point for research.

Step Four: Write the proposal

Contents of a Grant Proposal Although every foundation or corporation may have its own requirements in their “requests for proposals” (RFP), they generally contain the same components. Check the donor’s website for their specific guidelines. If you have searched the website and cannot find this information, then contact the foundation. Note: Be sure to check if the foundation or corporation accepts the Common Application. This application will save you time and effort if you can use it for a few different grants. In general, fundraisers will need to address the following issues in their proposals:

1. Statement of Need Often called “Needs Assessment,” this section asks “What is the problem?” Why are you asking for this grant? A description of the problem and why it is exists needs to be included here. If student reading levels are low and you are writing a grant for more books, you could state current levels of student reading achievement versus desired levels of student reading achievement. Then explain what the problem is that is preventing the school from closing this gap (e.g., lack of books). Be detailed in the description (e.g., specify what types and how many books the school is lacking).

2. Goals/Program Objectives

How does your school propose to overcome the problem? At the end of your program or project, where do you want the students to be? If your students are one year below grade level in math and you are writing a grant for supplemental math activities or programs, where do you want them to be at the end of the program? On grade level? Six months below grade level? Setting a specific goal is very important, but goals do not have to be test score based. Your goal could be to teach students healthy eating habits,

or to be able to design a chemistry experiment. The goal must be clear and measurable. Also be sure to articulate which students you are targeting (e.g., 4th graders behind grade level; gifted 10th graders) and during what timeframe this will take place (e.g., over the next school year; after 10 weeks). Be sure to review the donor’s guidelines for any additional information they may want in this section.

3. Project/Program Description

This is your plan of action, and the place to address the “who, what, when, where, and how” questions. What is your project or program? How are you going to help your students meet the goals set above to overcome the problem? Make sure you have reviewed all possible solutions to solving the problem, and determined that your program is the best one. Tell the donor why it is the best alternative. Additionally, when describing your program, stress the aspects that best match up with the donor’s priorities. If a donor is interested in volunteering and you have a program that brings parent volunteers into the school to read to children, stress the volunteering portion of your program.

4. Evaluation

How are you going to evaluate the project? How will you know if this grant improved the school and/or student achievement? Funding organizations need to know whether or not the program was successful in meeting its goals, and if not, then why it did not work out. Those who run the program should also know if it was successful so they know if changes need to be made, or if the program should be continued. Simplicity is key. It is best to describe how you will use specific, objective data to show the results of the program or project. Evaluation methods should not be complicated and should directly relate to the program goal. Comparison of “before and after” data is a simple and common way to evaluate a program. Be sure to review the donor’s evaluation requirements when designing your evaluation method.

5. Budget

How much is this project going to cost? This section usually requires an itemized list of the costs of the program. Make sure that your costs match with the amount of funding a donor is able to provide. If the donor cannot provide the funding that you need, do not try to cut your budget. Find another donor that is more appropriate for your program, or have more than one donor fund the program. You do not want to receive funding for a program and then be unable to start the program because you do not have enough money. Your budget does not need to be overly detailed, but every item that is explained in your project description above MUST be accounted for in the budget. It is best to explain costs as “cost per participant” instead of just stating the total. For example, if you put books in your budget, do not just write that you need $400 for books. Instead, it is best to say you have 20 students x 2 books per student x $10 per book = $400. Donors will often ask to see additional sources of funding if you have more than one donor for a particular program. If the school is paying for half of the program, you should note that in your grant proposal. As in all other sections of the grant, refer to the donor’s guidelines on the budget to be sure you include the information they want.

6. Information on your school It is a good idea to send the foundation one page of information on your school. If you have an existing brochure, you can use that. You should include your school’s mission statement, a little background about its location, student population, achievement levels,

programs, and accomplishments. This “one-pager” can be used for every proposal to give the foundation(s) background on your school and school community.

Step Five: Follow up After the proposal is sent, make a follow up call to the foundation to ensure that it has been received and to see if there are any questions that you can answer. Also consider inviting foundation staff members to see the school/program for which you have requested funding. Be patient. Most foundations make funding decisions at board meetings, which may only occur one or two times a year. Do not call a foundation every week looking for an answer.

Step Six: Reporting after receiving the grant If your school receives the grant for which you have applied, the first thing to do is thank the foundation. Write a letter and make a phone call thanking them for the funding they have provided to your school. Keep the foundation informed about school events that relate to their funding. Invite them to events and ask them if they would like to tour the school. This will help maintain a good relationship and make it easier if you choose to apply for funding from them again. Next, the foundation will most likely require that you report back on how the money was spent and the outcome achieved from the program they funded. Appoint one person to complete the report with the information requested in a timely manner. Be honest in your report. It pays to be forthright about any challenges and indicate how you plan to improve on your program, especially if you hope to have continued funding from the foundation.

Common Mistakes Selecting the wrong funder. It cannot be stressed enough that research must be done

to ensure that your school’s needs match with the interests of the funding organization. Picking the right donor is extremely important – do your research and talk to the donor to make sure that your program is something in which they are interested.

Not effectively articulating your case for support. It is important to pick the correct person to write the grant. The proposal writer should have excellent writing skills and be able to construct a convincing argument as to why the donor should give money to your program, as well as be willing to donate the time necessary to write a good proposal. The writer should also be able to write in a clear and simple format, so that someone completely unfamiliar with your school and program will have a thorough understanding of the need and opportunity by the time they have finished reading. Do not try to use a lot of educational “buzz words,” or make the proposal overly complicated. Have multiple people read the proposal before sending it; typos and grammatical errors will hurt your chance of receiving funding.

Being vague and/or inconsistent. The program goals and objectives must be clearly stated in the proposal. Do not ask for money just because the school needs money and the donor has money. Ask an appropriate, interested donor for money for a well-defined school need and you will be much more likely to receive the grant. Be clear and consistent throughout the entire proposal.

Not following the donor’s request for proposal (RFP) instructions and grant guidelines. One of the most common reasons to be turned down by a donor is failure to

follow their guidelines. Read the grant guidelines and the RFP carefully several times and follow the criteria stated. Address each point listed in the RFP as completely as possible. Do not skip sections, or add unnecessary information. Meet the donor’s deadline. Follow instructions as to how to submit the proposal; do not email it if the donor specifically asks for a hard copy.

Not saying thank you. Always thank a donor for any funding or gift they provide to your school.

Additional Grant Writing Resources How to Get Grants and Gifts for the Public Schools – A book by Stanley Levenson, a

school fundraising consultant, How to Get Grants and Gifts for the Public Schools contains tips, ideas, and instructions to secure grants for your school. Tackling both government and private grants, Levenson addresses how to find a donor, writing techniques for proposals, and online resources.

Online Tutorial and Free Classes: http://fdncenter.org/learn/shortcourse/prop1.html

Part of the Foundation Center website, the online tutorial is ideal for grant writing beginners. The Foundation Center, located in Manhattan, also offers pay and free courses in grant writing to help all levels of fundraisers.

Forming a School-Business Partnership A school-business partnership can take many formats, but is characterized by an ongoing commitment between the two parties to work together for the betterment of the school. Many businesses in the city are interested in working closely with individual schools to help bolster academic achievement, provide access to special programs or services, sponsor events to engage the school community, and/or a variety of other activities. School-business partnerships should be considered when:

The principal is interested in developing and managing a sustained business partnership. The principal must be willing and able to take an active part in the partnership, devote time to the relationship, and respond to the partner’s needs.

The school can define specific needs that the business can address.

Someone in the school community has a business and is interested in getting more involved in the school.

Step One: Determine who will manage the partnership Determine who should be involved in the management of the partnership and name one person to be the contact for the business partner, ideally the principal or an assistant principal. If you already have an interested business partner, continue reading the remaining steps. If you are looking for a potential partner, click here for some helpful information. Note: If the idea of pursuing a business partnership was not generated by the principal, you should make sure you get your principal’s support and approval first.

Step Two: Prioritize your needs and determine how a business partner could help It is crucial that the school guide the activities for any partnership. The goal for any partnership should be to help the school improve student achievement. The school must be able to articulate specific ways in which the business can help the school (e.g. a “menu of options” for the business to choose from). Consider the input of staff, parents, and students to expand options for business involvement. Talk with colleagues at other schools who have successfully pursued partnerships; they may have new ideas for you to consider. Before meeting with a potential business partner, prepare some concrete ideas for their involvement. Take into account the business’s various resources that could be useful to your school. It is recommended that you build a strong relationship with a business through interactive volunteer experiences before asking for money. You are more likely to create a stable and long lasting partnership this way.

Step Three: Meet with the business representative and get to know one another Tell the business partner about your school and ask about their interest in your school. Learn what the business partner wants from the relationship before launching into requests. Take them on a tour of the school. Explain the school vision and goals and work together to find projects that are of mutual interest. Consider volunteer opportunities, messaging/promotion ideas, and fundraising (see our Sample Partnership Activities). Even if the business does not jump at your first suggestion for partnership activities, do not be discouraged. Keep working to find activities

that fulfill the needs of the school and the interests of the business. For assistance planning your first meeting, please look at this sample agenda.

Step Four: Create an action plan Working with your school’s vision and goals, develop clear and realistic goals for the partnership. Create a reasonable measure for each goal. Consider opportunities for student, parent, and staff input. Create a calendar of events and share it with the business representative. Consider who will take the lead on organizing each event and what resources are involved. Take into consideration opportunities to publicize events and the partnership.

Step Five: Implement partnership activities Involve employees, students, parents, and staff in the implementation of partnership activities. The more people are actively engaged, the more solid the partnership will become. Consider having a partnership “kick off ceremony” to make the school and business community aware of the newly forged partnership.

Step Six: Check in along the way After every partnership activity, the school and business should get together and debrief. Discuss what was successful and what can be improved for the next activity. Was everyone involved? Did it reach the students? Did it help to achieve a previously stated goal? Is it helping each partner meet their needs? Let everyone provide input. Be sure to devise a way to thank the volunteers who participated, as appreciation is extremely important.

Step Seven: Evaluate the partnership at the end of the year At the end of the school year, you and your business partner should revisit the goals you created and determine if you have been successful in meeting them. Have an honest, forthright discussion about the overall partnership and whether or not it is working for the school and the business. If both sides feel good about the relationship, make a preliminary plan for the following year and set a time to meet to create a new action plan.

Step Eight: Celebrate your successes and thank your business partner It is important to celebrate the partnership, and recognize the good work that both the school and the business have done. Share your success with the entire school community and show appreciation for everyone’s contributions.

Appendix A: First Meeting Agenda

I. Introduction

II. Both partners present their interest in the partnership

III. School presents facts, needs, and goals

a. School demographics b. School improvement goals c. Identification of greatest needs d. Outline of goals for partnership

IV. Business presents facts, needs, and goals

a. Description of business b. Number of staff members c. Products/services provided d. Any special activities/programs that might be of interest to the school e. Needs for the partnership f. Possible goals for the partnership g. Time and staff available for partnership activities

V. Brainstorming of partnership goals and ideas for partnership activities

VI. Timeline for next steps and key contacts

Note: Take the business partner on a tour of the school during your meeting. They are not used to being in schools and will appreciate seeing what the school looks like and how the students behave. They are there to help student achievement, so be sure to have students play a role in the partnership from the very beginning. At next meeting: Establish an action plan and begin planning the first partnership activity.

Appendix B: Sample Partnership Activities

Career Development:

Guest speakers at school

Career workshops for students

Work site placements

Job shadowing

Field trip to business offices

Internships

Career day

Job application training

College Prep

SAT/Regents tutoring

Writing applications

Creating a portfolio

Communication/interview skills

Academic Assistance:

Tutoring

Mentoring

Mock trials

Expose students to specific careers

Recognize student achievement – provide prizes for perfect attendance, etc.

Provide scholarships for students for higher education or school supplies

Skills tutorials, e.g., computer training (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, web design, HTML, publishing)

Financial literacy classes (saving, budgeting, balancing a checkbook, planning for the future, credit cards)

College application and financial aid application assistance

Events:

Plan fundraising events in coordination with school leaders

Institute an employee giving program

Guest speakers for assemblies or staff meetings

Serve as a judge for science fair, debate, or other school competition

Sponsor school beautification projects

Sponsor recognition events for top students and/or teachers

Professional Development and Strategic Services:

Provide professional development sessions for teachers and administrators in topics such as accounting, management, etc.

Mentor a principal on a regular basis

Provide consulting services for the school: marketing, public relations, computers

Print school newspaper or other publications

Help schools develop fundraising objectives and plans

Help teachers and administrators assess needs, set goals, and develop strategic plans

Advise and/or join the school leadership team

Be a Principal for a Day

Community Outreach:

Encourage and share best practices with other corporations to get them involved in the schools

Encourage parents to volunteer

Work with local Business Improvement District on projects to support the school

Help schools appeal for and receive financial support from the community

Build pride through local promotional initiatives

Appendix C: Additional School Resources The following websites and organizations can help your school procure much-needed resources.

Supplies: Donor’s Choose: School teachers can post their needs on this website in the form of a project proposal. Donors view the site and choose a proposal to fund. Donor’s Choose acts as the facilitator, accepting the funds from the donor and purchasing the supplies/equipment for the teacher, as well as collecting the thank you letters from the students and teacher to send to the donor. Teachers cannot receive money from a donor through this website, only resources. Visit their website at www.donorschoose.org for more details. Adopt a Classroom: Teachers can register their classrooms and donors can log on and choose to ‘adopt’ a classroom. Donors then provide teachers with a set amount of money to purchase school supplies. Materials for the Arts: Operating out of a large warehouse in Long Island City, Materials for the Arts collects in-kind donations from businesses and individuals around the city and allows teachers to make appointments to shop for these items for free. They have an abundance of art supplies, but many other items as well, including books, paper, and classroom supplies. Please visit http://www.mfta.org/ to learn more. Pencil Box: Run by PENCIL, the Pencil Box is a matching database. Any company or individual with gently used furniture, equipment, or other quality goods to donate can list these items on the PENCIL Box website. Schools can search the online database and if they find an item they need, they contact the donor directly. Donor and recipient work together to handle the logistics of the delivery. Visit www.thepencilbox.org to search their list of available items.

Programs: NY Cares Day: One Saturday each year, New York Cares mobilizes over 8,000 New Yorkers to revitalize New York City public schools. Volunteers reorganize libraries; work in technology centers; clean up playgrounds; paint murals and line games; and make our schools brighter, cleaner, and happier. New York City public schools interested in applying to be a Cares Day site can download an application or call 212-228-5000 for more information. Children for Children: Children for Children provides educational materials and services to New York City schools serving under-resourced communities. CFC offers valuable resources to benefit schools, teachers, and their students including Annual Fund Resource Grants for schools, Teachers Aid Program Grants, hands-on volunteer opportunities in the schools, and book drives.

Other: Beyond the Bakesale, The Ultimate School Fund Raising Book: Written by Jean Joachim, this book includes ideas for school events, how to run them, timelines, and innovations from school fundraisers nationwide.

Grant Writing: How to Get Grants and Gifts for the Public Schools: This book by Stanley Levenson contains tips, ideas, and instructions to secure grants for your school. Tackling both government and private grants, Levenson addresses finding donors, proposal writing techniques, and online resources. Foundation Center: The Foundation Center offers pay and free courses in grant writing to help all levels of fundraisers. It is located at 79 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. Foundation Center Online: This site provides links to hundreds of foundations and provides a user-friendly guide for grant seekers. Some searches and portions of the website are password protected, but much of the site is not. There are also online tutorials for new grant writers, as well as an online funding library and additional resources. Foundation Finder: Part of the Foundation Center website, the Foundation Finder searches information about thousands of foundations in the U.S. Fundsnet Online Services: Fundsnet Online Services provides links to hundreds of funding sources as well as grant writing and fundraising tips. Click here for names of foundations and corporations interested in funding educational programs.

Appendix D: How To Recruit a Partner Adapted from School to Work Alliance workbook “Effective School-Business Partnerships and Advisory Councils”. You have limited time to recruit business partners, and therefore must make an efficient and targeted effort. The three main steps are:

Identifying potential partners

Articulating your educational goals and how a partner can help

Approaching the partner

Step One: Identifying potential partners The recruitment process is easiest if you can establish a team. Bring together interested staff and parents and work as a team throughout the tenure of the recruitment, and if possible, into the partnership. It is easiest to work with a partner who either already has a relationship with your school or knows someone at the school. Examine your school’s current partnerships. Circulate a memo to staff asking if they have any partnerships or relationships that could lead to partnerships. Include programs such as Junior Achievement, mentoring programs, and contacts made through “Principal for a Day.” Take note of how long the relationship has existed, who the school contact has been, and the contact name on the partner’s side. If you do not have any current partners that can be utilized, consider people who have something in common with your school. Think about your geographic location and any themes or specialties your school might have. Are there any special programs, teams, or clubs that might be used to draw in a partner? Consider alumni, or parents who have connections to businesses. Scan your local environment to see if there are new businesses that might want to work with you. Contact the local Business Improvement District (click here for an explanation and list of Business Improvement Districts) and local Chamber of Commerce to get a list of businesses and to see if they have suggestions. Brainstorm potential partners, preferably with a team. Having input from staff, parents, and students will increase your pool of possibilities. Gather information about these partners. Use the Internet if possible, or contact the businesses and ask for information on their mission and community involvement. Use this information to determine if the business is a good match for your school. Are they interested in education? Do they have a link to the school or local community? Do we know someone in the business that could help us get our foot in the door? Remember that many of the businesses you approach may turn you down; if you are looking for three partnerships, you should approach at least 10 businesses.

Step Two: Articulating your educational goals and how a business partner can help Once you have a list of potential partners, you need to create a message about your school and its goals that is short, persuasive, and informative. You have to market your school to these businesses.

Clearly describe what your education goals are and how a business can help you reach

those goals – Emphasize your goals for student achievement, describe the equipment, involvement, programs or guidance that you need, and articulate how a business can contribute something to help you reach the school’s goals. Businesses often want to be involved, but do not know how – you need to tell them how and tie their involvement back to your core goals so they know how it relates to student achievement. Write out a short (one page) document of your goals and how a business can contribute to be mailed out or handed out in a meeting so that the business representative can share this information with others.

Do not create a shopping list – Businesses want to respond in a meaningful way and know what needs they are working to meet in a school. They really are interested in clear plans for student achievement – share those plans and how the business can help.

Be concise – While businesses want to understand what is going on in the school and how to help, they do not have time to review a school’s CEP or other longer documents. You need to spell it out neatly for a business partner.

Gather other materials about your school – A school brochure is also an excellent item to give to potential business partners. If you do not have a brochure, a one page description of your school with relevant information would work well. The brochure/one pager should outline your school’s demographics, programs, and accomplishments. It does not have to be expensive or professionally produced, but should LOOK professional and be clear, concise, and well written.

Step Three: Approaching the Partner Now that you have a list of potential partners and materials that clearly articulate your school needs, it is time to extend yourself to local businesses to sell your school.

Mail your school information and needs to each business on your potential partner list. To find the proper person to whom to address the materials, have someone from the local Chamber of Commerce or Business Improvement District (BID) identify someone in the organization for you. If this is not possible, call the organization and ask for the head of community affairs or corporate philanthropy. If the organization is smaller, ask for the head of Human Resources. If you are approaching a small business, ask for the manager or owner. Be realistic about how many letters you send out – every letter will require a follow up phone call. Keep a good record of who you sent the letters to and when you sent them.

Follow up every letter with a phone call within seven days of the mailing. If possible, call people in the business with whom you have a mutual acquaintance. Have your acquaintance make the introduction before calling. When you call, refer to this mutual acquaintance.

When you call, be very clear about your reason for calling. Make your pitch about your school and be specific in what you are asking from the business. Consider writing out a script for yourself before calling that succinctly describes what the school is asking for. Refer to the letter that was sent and have the materials you sent in front of you for reference. Do not be discouraged if you have to call several times before speaking with

someone, and if you leave a message, be specific as to when the business can reach a knowledgeable person at the school.

Feel free to use a team approach to lighten the load of calling all these businesses, but make sure everyone on the team knows what they are asking for and is prepared to speak to the partner. If you have a mutual acquaintance with the business partner, make sure everyone on the team knows to refer to this person when calling the business.

If there is any interest on the part of the business, take down all their contact information and establish a next step before hanging up (who will call who on what date and time or when you will meet). Be clear about the time frame and when the next action will be taken.

Keep good records of your calls. Write down what day and time you called and with whom you spoke. Write down what you said you would do and when the next contact will be. This file should be accessible by all people working on building the partnership.

Next Steps These actions should help you land an initial meeting with a potential partner. Refer to Appendix A for a sample agenda for your first meeting.

Appendix E: Foundation List The following foundations have historically given to NYC public schools. This is not an exhaustive list. Please check foundation websites for information updates and more information about their funding priorities. The Frances L. & Edwin L. Cummings Memorial Fund 501 5th Ave., Ste. 708 New York, NY 10017-7843 Telephone: (212) 286-1778 Contact: Elizabeth Costas, Exec. Dir. Stella and Charles Guttman Foundation, Inc. 122 E. 42nd St. Ste. 2010 New York, NY 10168-2101 Contact: Elizabeth Olofson, Exec. Dir. E-mail: eolofson@guttmanfoundation.org www.guttmanfoundation.org/ Edward W. Hazen Foundation 90 Broad St., Ste. 604 New York, NY 10004-3329 Telephone: (212) 889-3034 Contact: Lori Bezahler, Pres. and Secy. E-mail: hazen@hazenfoundation.org www.hazenfoundation.org Leon Lowenstein Foundation, Inc. 150 E. 58th St., 16th Fl. New York, NY 10155-1601 Telephone: (212) 319-0670 Contact: John Van Gorder, Exec. Dir. The Pinkerton Foundation 610 5th Ave., Ste. 316 New York, NY 10020-2403 Telephone: (212) 332-3385 Contact: Joan Colello, Exec. Dir. E-mail: pinkfdn@pinkertonfdn.org www.thepinkertonfoundation.org The Seth Sprague Educational and Charitable Foundation 1 Bryant Park NY1-100-28-05 New York, NY 10036-6715 Telephone: (646) 855-1011 Contact: Christine O'Donnell, Bank of America

Jean and Louis Dreyfus Foundation, Inc. 315 Madison Ave., Ste. 900 New York, NY 10017 Telephone: (212) 599-1931 Contact: Ms. Edmee de M. Firth, Exec. Dir. E-mail: info@jldreyfus.org foundationcenter.org/grantmaker/dreyfus/ Bernard F. and Alva B. Gimbel Foundation, Inc. 271 Madison Ave., Ste. 605 New York, NY 10016-1001 Telephone: (212) 895-8050 Contact: Leslie Gimbel, Pres. and Exec. Dir. www.gimbelfoundation.org The Heckscher Foundation for Children 123 E. 70th St. New York, NY 10021-5006 Telephone: (212) 744-0190 Contact: Virginia Sloane, Pres.; Julia Bator, Sr. Prog. Off. www.heckscherfoundation.org

Appendix F: Glossary 501(c)3: An organization that is legally recognized as a nonprofit organization. It allows donors to know that the organization is officially a nonprofit, and it provides them with the ability to make a tax-deductible donation. Many foundations and corporations only give money to 501(c)3 organizations. Some schools have alumni associations or parent associations that are registered as a 501(c)3. Common Application: Philanthropy New York (formerly known as The New York Regional Association of Grantmakers, or NYRAG) has created a common application form that a number of foundations and corporations accept for grant applications. Filling out this application will allow you to apply for several grants with only one form. Each foundation/corporation may still ask for different materials in addition to the Common Application, so it is very important to read each foundation’s guidelines carefully. A copy of the Common Application form can be downloaded here, and information about funders who accept this form can be downloaded here. Local Education Agency (LEA): This term applies mainly to government grants. Sometimes grants indicate that only an LEA can apply. In this case, the school cannot apply directly for the grant by itself. You must apply through the Department of Education Government Grants office. Request for Proposal (RFP): The request from a foundation or corporation to write a proposal. The RFP will contain guidelines for what the foundation wants to know about the school and its program in order to consider giving the grant.